The Affable Stranger

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Affable Stranger is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Peter McArthur • Curated US English Learning Edition

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THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

Not that I know anything about it!

Heaven forbid!

But ever since leaving home I have been hearing about the psychology of this and that until the conviction has grown that an account of this dip into the world will not be complete without a chapter on the latest and most popular of our sciences.

And it is not personal psychology that must be dealt with.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XV Reading 1/13

The Affable Stranger

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Affable Stranger is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

Line 2

Not that I know anything about it!

/nɑːt ðæt aɪ noʊ ˈeniθɪŋ əˈbaʊt ɪt/

Line 3

Heaven forbid!

/ˈhevən fərˈbɪd/

Line 4

/bʌt ˈevər sɪns ˈliːvɪŋ hoʊm aɪ hæv bɪn ˈhiːrɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə saɪˈkɑːlədʒi ʌv ðɪs ənd ðæt ənˈtɪl ðə kənˈvɪkʃən hæz ɡroʊn ðæt æn əˈkaʊnt ʌv ðɪs dɪp ˈɪntuː ðə wɜːrld wɪl nɑːt biː kəmˈpliːt wɪˈθaʊt ə ˈtʃæptər ɑːn ðə ˈleɪtəst ənd moʊst ˈpɑːpjələr ʌv ˈaʊər ˈsaɪənsəz/

Line 5

And it is not personal psychology that must be dealt with.

/ənd ɪt ɪz nɑːt ˈpɜːrsɪnəl saɪˈkɑːlədʒi ðæt mʌst biː delt wɪð/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

conviction noun US /kənˈvɪkʃən/

an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence

From this reading “But ever since leaving home I have been hearing about the psychology of this and that until the conviction has grown that an account of this dip into the world will not be complete without a chapter on the latest and most popular of our sciences.”

dealt verb US /delt/

inflected form of “deal” — act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading “And it is not personal psychology that must be dealt with.”

dip verb US /dɪp/

immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate

forbid verb US /fərˈbɪd/

command against

From this reading “Heaven forbid!”

latest adjective US /ˈleɪtəst/

up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date

psychology noun US /saɪˈkɑːlədʒi/

the science of mental life

From this reading “THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.”

relation noun US /riˈleɪʃən/

an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together

From this reading “THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.”

sciences noun US /ˈsaɪənsəz/

plural of “science” — a particular branch of scientific knowledge

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

most popular adverb + adjective

In this reading “But ever since leaving home I have been hearing about the psychology of this and that until the conviction has grown that an account of this dip into the world will not be complete without a chapter on the latest and most popular of our sciences.”

dip into verb + particle

read selectively; read only certain passages from a text

since leaving preposition + noun

dealt with verb + particle counted as “deal with”

In this reading “And it is not personal psychology that must be dealt with.”

into the world preposition + article + noun counted as “into … world”

in relation preposition + noun

In this reading “THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.”

All words in this reading · 61

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Not that I know anything about it!

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading But ever since leaving home I have been hearing about the psychology of this and that until the conviction has grown that an account of this dip into the world will not be complete without a chapter on the latest and most popular of our sciences.

affairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Not that I know anything about it!

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

chapternounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

convictionnounUS /kənˈvɪkʃən/

an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence

dealtverbUS /delt/

inflected form of “deal” — act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading And it is not personal psychology that must be dealt with.

dipverbUS /dɪp/

immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

forbidverbUS /fərˈbɪd/

command against

From this reading Heaven forbid!

grownadjectiveUS /ɡroʊn/

(of animals) fully developed

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

hearingnounUS /ˈhiːrɪŋ/

(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence

HeavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading Heaven forbid!

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading And it is not personal psychology that must be dealt with.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Not that I know anything about it!

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Not that I know anything about it!

latestadjectiveUS /ˈleɪtəst/

up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

MASTERnounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

NEWadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not that I know anything about it!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

personaladjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrsɪnəl/

concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality

From this reading And it is not personal psychology that must be dealt with.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

popularadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːpjələr/

regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public

present-dayadjective

belonging to the present time

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

psychologynounUS /saɪˈkɑːlədʒi/

the science of mental life

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

relationnounUS /riˈleɪʃən/

an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

sciencesnounUS /ˈsaɪənsəz/

plural of “science” — a particular branch of scientific knowledge

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading And it is not personal psychology that must be dealt with.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

WORDnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

From this reading THE NEW MASTER WORD A point has been reached where I feel that I must write a chapter on psychology in relation to present-day affairs.

Chapter 15 of The Affable Stranger by Peter McArthur holds 65 sentences, grouped into 13 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 15 of The Affable Stranger contain?

Chapter 15 holds 65 sentences of The Affable Stranger, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Affable Stranger by Peter McArthur exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 65 sentences, grouped into 13 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 15 of The Affable Stranger?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

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Yes. All 1811 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48128 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #48128, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 150 minutes of reading across 363 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter XV

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